New endeavor will build on success of Guiding Light’s Men’s Recovery Program To Fill Community Need
Focusing on Addiction
Guiding Light, a local Christian non-profit dedicated to helping individuals recover from addiction, is continuing its commitment to help the community by launching addiction recovery services for women. Over the past decade, Guiding Light has shifted from its roots as a traditional shelter to a program-based organization that walks alongside individuals to fulfill their God-given dignity and potential. The current mission includes men’s recovery that has helped hundreds of men deal with addiction. Those efforts include evidence-based practices, life coaches, therapy, support groups, spiritual direction and other resources to equip men to build lives worth staying sober for.
First Steps
Guiding Light recently purchased two houses in Grand Rapids, the first step in providing addiction recovery services for women. These homes will be used as transitional, sober-living housing for females who have completed initial steps in the recovery process and are beginning to transition out of inpatient treatment.
“We’re proud of our current recovery program and the men who have gone through it andrealized there is a need in our area for more addiction services for women,” said Brian Elve, Guiding Light Executive Director. “Taking these first steps into women’s recovery is a natural way for us to grow and serve more people in the community.”
Together, the homes will house up to 16 women who have already received treatment at another location. The program will be modeled after Guiding Light’s successful Iron House transitional housing for men, which currently has six locations around Kent County. At Iron House, the men pay rent, have jobs and are expected to follow strict community standards as they take the next step in their journey.
“For years, we’ve seen that men who go from recovery to our transitional housing have a much greater chance of staying sober and we’re excited to fill a much needed void in women’s recovery,” said Elve.
Guiding Light is completely donor funded and used that support to acquire the properties.
Recovery for Men and Women
The men’s recovery program will remain housed at Guiding Light’s headquarters at 255 Division South and the men’s and women’s programs will operate as separately. Guiding Light plans to add a full residential treatment program for women, similar to the men’s, at a future date.
“We are so thankful for the generous support that West Michigan continues to show us, which allows us to grow and help even more people moving forward,” said Elve.
